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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Butuan farmer-producing groups receive gilts from
Pilmico

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 28 (PIA) – Twenty-three
beneficiaries coming from the various barangays of this city received the first
50 gilts from Pilmico Foods Corporation (the food subsidiary of Aboitiz Equity
Ventures and one of the country’s largest flour milling companies) during the
ceremonial turn-over held on Tuesday at the Capitol Covered Court here.

Said activity is in partnership with Winrock
International, GeiserMaclang, and United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA).

Elma Tolo, one of the beneficiaries from this city
expressed that she with other recipients are very happy to be part of Pilmico’s
project on swine repopulation and is committed to help her co-farmers to earn
from the livestock industry. “I have given this opportunity and I just feel the
need to give back by taking care of the gilts entrusted to me. Thank you very
much to Pilmico and partners for this effort. This will surely help us lift our
living status,” she shared.

Daniel Gudahl, chief of party of Winrock
International congratulated the beneficiaries and encouraged them to pursue
their dream business in the livestock industry.

"We are working together with Pilmico, USDA
and other partners to help people, the farmer-producing groups earn money and
produce clean and quality food, as well as best genetics possible especially in
Caraga region. The beneficiaries here in Caraga are the pioneers for the
Philippine Cold Chain Project (PCCP) and 50 of the 400 gilts are already
dispersed to them. There's no reason for you not to produce the best pork in
the region," Gudahl highlighted.

Gudahl reiterated that the PCCP is a four-year
project funded by the USDA Food for Progress program and implemented by
Winrock. The project will increase agricultural productivity on horticultural,
meat and fish value chains and develop cold chain food handling systems. One
goal of the PCCP is to provide a system of preserving perishable agriculture
products using a temperature controlled supply chain thereby decreasing
agricultural losses.

“To help remedy the poverty situation in Caraga
region, Winrock International, the implementing agency of USDA partners with
Pilmico Animal Nutrition Corporation, a subsidiary of the Aboitiz Equity
Ventures, in stepping up the existing swine population program in Caraga to
improve the quality of hogs in the region and enable the swine raisers to sell
them at a higher value, thereby creating sustainable livelihood for the
people,” Gudahl stressed.

Winrock International is a non-profit organization
working with the people of United States of America and throughout the world.
It is committed to building human capacity, creating long-term relationships,
managing effectively, communicating openly, and promoting teamwork.

Also, the PCCP covers 260 barangays within the
five provinces and Butuan City in Caraga region. It is open to all groups and
individuals who are engaged in the production, trade, processing, and marketing
of food, perishable food and food products.

"We are stepping up the existing Swine
Repopulation project in Caraga by partnering with Winrock International, and by
doing so, we hope to address at least three concerns. Further increase the
number of swine in the region as there is already pork shortage in Caraga,
enhance the genetic profile of the current swine in the region and as a result,
create a platform for sustainable livelihood," disclosed Norie Bermudez,
Asst. Vice President for Visayas-Mindanao Sales of Pilmico.

Bermudez further emphasized that by improving the
genetic quality of the swine through the Swine Repopulation Project, hog raisers
in the region will be able to have better quality of swine. "And the
better the quality of the swine, the better price it could command in the
market. This will create for the swine raisers better livelihood opportunities
and overall improved swine genetics in the region," she said.

Dr. Ivan Porras, Territory Business Manager of
Pilmico Foods Corporation also revealed that its Swine Repopulation Project is
envisioned to contribute significantly to the vision of Caraga region being the
future breadbasket for the country.

“Invigorating the livestock industry in the
region, Pilmico also provides animal nutrition, veterinary and technical
support and progress monitoring that will strengthen the repopulation effort,”
relayed Porras. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

News Feature: National Rabies program declares
Socorro as Rabies-Free Island

By Aurelius P. Arais

SOCORRO, Surigao del Norte, Oct. 28 (PIA) -
Strolling along the streets under the shadow of the moon or in a broad daylight
alone or with company of friends or family members is one way of unwinding from
daily stress.

But who can afford it, if we are under the threat
of dogs roaming around looking for a victim to be bitten? In this case, you may
just go home and lock yourself up in the four corners of your room.

But in Soccoro, Surigao del Norte its totally
different. You are free to roam around without fear of stray dogs. In fact, during my stint in the area, I
haven’t seen even one dog roaming in the street.

This is the result of the massive campaign of the
Local Government Unit (LGU) of Soccoro
against rabies.

Last October 22, 2014, the National Rabies Program
thru its National Manager Dr. Raffy Deray announced to the populace that
Soccoro is officially one of the areas in the country as rabies-free.

The declaration ceremony was witnessed by
officials from the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Agriculture
(DA) Caraga headed by Regional Director Edna Mabeza and LGU officials of the
Province of Surigao del Norte and Municipality of Soccoro as well as barangay
officials and residents.

Dr. Esther Cardeño, the regional rabies
coordinator, said, that the declaration of the island of Soccoro as rabies-free
is a result of the close collaboration of various government agencies such as
DOH, DA, Department of hte Interior and Local Government, Department of
Education, and LGU as well as non-government organizations and academe.

LGU of Soccoro actively supported the campaign
against rabies by promulgating an ordinance regulating canine population in the
area.

Through the ordinance, owners of dogs were obliged
to have a dog house in their respective residences and have their dogs
regularly vaccinated. Failure to do so has a corresponding penalty based on the
municipal ordinance.

Meanwhile, DA provided the needed vaccines and
implementation of dog population management as well as massive information
campaign.

Soccoro Vice Mayor Dominador Taruc said that after
declaring their area as rabies-free the great task that lies on their shoulder
is to maintain its record of being rabies-free.

Socorro is the second area in Mindanao declared as
rabies-free next to Camiguin. To date, 23 areas nationwide have been declared
jointly by the DOH and DA as Rabies Free Zones.

National Rabies Prevention and Control Program
aims to make Philippines rabies free by 2020.

In the Philippines, rabies is responsible for
200-250 deaths every year. (DA-13/PIA-Caraga)

Surigao City SWDO conducts seminar on handling
VAWC cases

SURIGAO CITY, Oct 28 (PIA) – The Surigao City
Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) through the Surigao City Crisis
Center conducted the one-day seminar on handling cases related to Violence
Against Women and Children (VAWC) in the barangay level held on Tuesday at the
Mt. Bagarabon Beach Resort, Barangay Mabua, this city.

Surigao City Crisis Center head Edwin B.
Villanueva said that the objectives of the one-day seminar are to inform and
orient the participants especially the barangay officials regarding Republic
Act 9262 (VAWC) or Barangay VAW Desk and their role in the implementation of
the Anti-VAWC Law and understanding its nature, offenses, remedies and criminal
procedures including the effect and application procedures in the issuance of
barangay protection order (BPO), temporary protection order (TPO), permanent
protection order (PPO).

Villanueva also said that participants of the said
seminar are those newly elected barangay captains, secretary and VAW desk
officers from thirty identified barangays of the city.

According to Villanueva the role of barangay and
barangay VAW desk in the implementation of R.A 9262 will be discuss by
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) City Director John Reyl
Mosquito, Department of Justice-Assistant State Prosecutor Atty. Maria Kristina
Paat Salumbides will discuss the salient feature of anti-VAWC law, while the
three types of protection order namely the Barangay Protection Order, Temporary
Protection Order and the Permanent Protection Order will be discuss by Att. Vals
Lisondra of Public Attorney’s Office. (SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)